Iranian Civil Rights
Our media has been filled with the realities of the current human rights violations and political situation in Iran, whether we are aware of it or not. Whether we want it to or not, these disparities reach much farther than their enclosed area. In the words of Martin Luther King Jr. - “A threat to justice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
Though restrictions on women and individual injustices have plagued the nation for decades, the recent revolts against the current Iranian regime were sparked when 22-year-old Mahsa Amini was brutally beaten and killed by Iranian authorities for wearing a hijab the ‘improper’ way. Following the media release of this incident, numerous protests and advocacy networks began or were re-implemented, in an attempt to overturn the current regime and gain a level of autonomy from the Iranian government. But that has not come without a cost. The citizens have faced the consequences of fighting back and speaking out, through violence, injury, refusal to be hospitalized, disconnection from media and external resources, and in death.
It has been a touchy and popular debate on whether or not the United States should put any political or economic efforts toward intervention in Iran. Some argue the danger this poses for the United States’ own citizens if we were to prod at the government; whereas others emphasize that Iranian citizens are unable to dismantle this regime on their own.
But first, we must understand…
Why is the current Iranian Regime so dangerous?
There are numerous ways in which the nation’s government, the Islamic Republic, and the authoritarian regime are threatening the ongoing and future lives of many individuals. Here are some major ways in which the current government structure is inhibiting natural rights and inherent prosperity.
Environmental Mismanagement
Once commended for the greenest environment in the Middle East, its expansive natural parks, minimal air pollution, and sufficient waterways are no longer the country’s strength. Instead, the once-preserved parks and wildlife are being taken over by modern and unneeded developments put forth by the Iranian government. In fact, in an effort to appease political elites and other powerful corporations, the Iranian government has diverted water and other natural and necessary materials away from their citizens. Vulnerable communities and poorer individuals are subjected to the health risks that come along with unsafe water conditions, as well as a decline in productive output from their farmlands and similar agricultural prosperity. Outside sources describe the Iranian environmental crisis as self-inflicted, as their current policies have strayed from climate protection to industrialized superiority. Not only does this continue a distinctive social and financial divide within the class structure, but directly impoverishes their own citizens and decreases their quality of life.
“The Iranian government’s willful flouting of environmental best practices since the 1979 inception of the Islamic Republic is tantamount to a war on the environment.”
Iran’s War on Its Own Environment - United Against Nuclear Iran
Women’s Rights
Under the current regime, women are subjected to abide by the Islamic Regime’s standards of modesty and patriarchal confinement. In several areas of their life - including marriage, divorce, political participation, employment, and financial endowment - they require permission or authority invested by their fathers or male counterparts. Moreover, the current laws allow older men to marry girls as young as 10 years old, have little protection put in place for situations of sexual and domestic abuse, and restrict their voices in familial and political decisions. However, despite these debilitating obstacles and discrimination, Iranian women still continue to push against the status quo and demand better for themselves and similar oppressed communities around the globe. Human Rights Watch stated in November 2022, that despite discrimination, Iranian women are highly educated and have broken barriers in many professional fields. Women have pushed against discriminatory laws and policies, like the dress code and sexual harassment, achieving some reforms. But they have faced arrest, torture, imprisonment, and even death sentences. The ongoing protests are aimed at rectifying these injustices and dismantling institutionalized patriarchal repression.
“It's a movement about liberty. It's not about not wanting to wear the headscarf, but being able to have the choice of whether to wear the headscarf.”
says Nima Rahimi, a first-generation Iranian immigrant
Response to Protestors
But that does not mean that is easy. Protesting and demanding a change anywhere, especially under the current circumstances in Iran, offer even more detrimental repercussions than the ones the citizens face by not demanding better. In efforts to challenge their current status quo, protests through the streets, burning of their hijabs and similar patriarchal symbols, as well as media coverage of the truth - are just a few ways Iranian citizens are attempting to take their voices back. But this comes with a threatening cost. In attempts to savor any credibility, officials have mobilized women to speak on behalf of the justice and advocate for anti-protests. Without doing so, the loss of life or harm to family becomes a threat of reality. According to VOA News on Iran, there have been 1,500 protestors killed by Iranian State Officials in reaction to the pushback they are receiving. These deaths, and more injuries, have come by way of excessive gun violence and unregulated warfare on the citizens - regardless of the threat to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) or the Regime Representatives. These injustices lead to weakened confidence throughout the nation, as speaking out is the equivalent is asking to be murdered. It seems no one is safe. Those who are injured from these acts of violence are also unable to receive the medical attention they need to fully recover and heal properly, as healthcare officials are in direct correspondence with the government. As a result, citizens have reached out to American medical workers for instruction on the recovery and management of their wounds. Which leads us to our next point of worry - how many contacts are Iranian citizens able to have with the external world?
Internet Restrictions
In efforts to further reduce Iranian subjects’ access to resources that could potentially threaten the Regime itself, they have gone through extreme processes of wireless and media site restrictions. After an outbreak of similar protests in 2019, known as the ‘Blackout,’ the Iranian government only allowed citizens to access the National Information Network. As similar discontent is on the rise, officials have completely cut off access to valuable communication sites like YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Telegram, and Instagram, according to Reporters Without Borders. This dismantles connections that Iranian citizens hold with individuals outside of their resident country, with limited mainstream access to the injustices currently plaguing their nation. Without the necessary exposure to other ways of democracy or political environments, citizens have little to work with when it comes to rebuilding their nation in the way they need. Citizens are also unable to fully represent the extent of the protesting situations and accurately depict their circumstances to the global media, moreso depleting their access to the support they are in need. In addition to these restricted social sites, the government currently prevents the use of VPNs (Virtual Private Networks), which allow technology users to stay private online and even use restricted services. In a time and age of technological and virtual media dependence, it is crucial that individuals have access to unbiased information and the resources necessary to combat these issues.
What can we do?
We have learned of the true bravery encased by Iranian civilians and the resulting lack of action and further endangerment of their circumstances. Understanding the extent of the ongoing injustices, we also feel powerless and discouraged by the Iranian Regime’s attempts and successions at maintaining control of their country at whatever cost. So what are tangible steps we can take, as outside global citizens to enhance their quality of life and potentially overpower their current government?
Be their voice
After discussing the current internet restrictions put in place, we understand how minuscule their outlet is for spreading awareness on protests, their situation, new developments, and ongoing abuses. This means that it is up to us: those with access to these media sites and networking channels. We must be their mobilizing force as they are unable to take this on for themselves. This starts with the endorsement of educational material on this subject and resulting media awareness. We think of resharing posts on Instagram as insignificant and further damaging for some communities in harm — but this is a unique situation where awareness and publicity are tasks we must take on for them. It is essential that we speak up and participate in this movement. This comes with one Facebook share, news article, blog post, Instagram story, and tweet at a time. Use the platform you have, however big or small, to help a community that is cut off from the world. Doing so, will further mobilize discontent and challenge government policies.
“As global scrutiny of the protests intensifies, so does the mounting pressure on the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
Roya Backlund on Helping Iran
Donate and Petition
Sharing posts and news stories is a critical form of activism, but actively endorsing platforms and organizations with the purpose of alleviating Iranian (or other global) hardships is also substantial. By putting your name, money, or voice behind a corporation built to empower these communities, you are actively relieving burdens of medical expenses, occupational disturbances, technological accessibility, and protecting the rights of political prisoners. Here are some credible organizations to look into.
United for Iran - a 501(c)(3) organization aimed to raise protestors’ voices and secure individual liberty - Donate Today
Reducing the power of the regime petition - Aimed to take monetary access away from those affiliated with the regime and reduce sanctions. If this petition reaches 100,000 signatures, it will be considered for debate in Parliament - Sign Today
Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for Human Rights in Iran - Records executions and assassinations in Iran to give a platform to the Human Rights Violations - Donate Today
Human Rights Watch - Provides mainstream coverage on the Iranian situation and endorses change through coverage. Without this organization, much of our knowledge of their experiences (and mine) would be greatly limited - Donate or Get Involved Today
Stop the Death Penalty in Iran - This petition is aimed at abolishing the death penalty for protestors in Iran and releasing political prisoners - Sign Today
